The present invention relates to a moving walk which can safely and rapidly transfer a passenger over a long distance.
For example, in the case of a moving walk disposed in a place such as an airport, when it is driven at a speed of 30 m per minute or 40 m per minute, there has been a problem that it takes too long to move the passenger due to the low speed.
Then, a new type of moving walk which slowly moves at a platform for the passenger and fast moves at a middle portion has been desired, and a moving walk as shown in the following description has been suggested in Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. 2-75594.
FIG. 2 is a schematic view which shows a moving walk constituted by a plurality of endless circulating belts, and FIG. 3 is a partly enlarged view of FIG. 2.
In the drawing, reference numerals 2 and 2xe2x80x2 denote an independent module which is structured such that an endless sliding belt 20 having a small thickness and being significantly flexible passes under a pair of guide rollers 25 and is always driven by a drive roller 30 at a constant speed, and it is set that among them, a module 2 disposed near the platform moves at a low speed and a module 2xe2x80x2 disposed at a position apart from the platform moves at a high speed as it is apart from the platform, so that a passenger is gradually accelerated or decelerated when the passenger transfers to the adjacent modules 2 and 2xe2x80x2.
Accordingly, the module 2 has a platform belt and the module 2xe2x80x2 has an accelerating and decelerating belt.
Reference numeral 15 denotes a small diameter roller disposed at both ends of the module 2 or 2xe2x80x2 in such a manner as to be apart therefrom and having a significantly small diameter, for example, about 30 mm to 70 mm, and an effective interval between the adjacent portions in an above track is restricted to a size of about 20 mm to 40 mm, smaller than a length of a very small shoe such as a child shoe.
Reference numeral 10 denotes a transfer plate having a T-shaped cross section and disposed in an interval between each pair of the adjacent modules 2 or 2xe2x80x2 in such a manner that the above surface is positioned lower than the upper surface of the endless sliding belt 20, and it is described that the transfer body 10 may be omitted in the case that the circulating speed of the endless sliding belt is high.
Reference numeral 26 denotes a sliding plate for supporting and guiding the above track of the endless sliding belt 20, and reference numeral 27 denotes a long main circulating belt moving at a highest speed in an adjacent manner to the high speed module 2xe2x80x2 and constituting a center portion of the moving walk.
However, in the case of the conventional variable speed type moving walk mentioned above, there have been the following problems.
1) A mechanism for driving the belt in each of the modules in a relational manner becomes complex.
2) Since the belt is always supported and guided by the sliding plate, even in the case that there is no passenger, a loss is produced due to a sliding friction.
3) It is not completely made clear how long and what speed of the module is optimum and what combination of the modules is optimum, for safety of the transferred passenger, or how a moving handrail for safely guiding the passenger is arranged.
4) The lower the circulating speed of the endless sliding belt 20 is, the smaller the interval between the opposing small diameter rollers 15 have to be made, however, when the transfer plate 10 is inserted, the interval is made wide, so that there is a risk that the passenger transferred in a standing attitude slips on a rotating portion at the small diameter roller 15 of the endless sliding belt 20 close to a receiving side, thereby obstructing a smooth transfer,. Further, when the length of the modules 2 and 2xe2x80x2 in an accelerating and decelerating area is too short, it is considered that a tall passenger completely steps over one module in one stride, in this case, the passenger suddenly moves from the slow endless sliding belt to the endless sliding belt moving at a faster speed (or the reversed case), so that the passenger staggers and it is very dangerous.
The present invention is made by taking each of the problems mentioned above into consideration, and an object is to provide a variable speed type moving walk having a simple structure and mechanism, capable of safely and smoothly transferring a passenger, presenting little fear of stumbling when the passenger walks.
The present invention is made by taking the problems mentioned above into consideration, and is characterized by including the following structures.
(1) A moving walk structured such that an independent platform belt and one or some accelerating and decelerating belts are successively disposed adjacent to an operating direction in front of and at the rear of a main circulating belt, the belts are operated in the same direction, an operating speed of the belt disposed at a boarding portion is successively made high in accordance that the belt reaches a moving direction, an operating speed of the belt disposed at a debarking portion is successively made low in an inverted manner, and an operating speed of the main circulating belt is made highest with respect to the belts at the embarking and debarking portions, in which:
a) the belt disposed at the debarking portion or the belt disposed at the boarding portion is driven through the main circulating belt; and/or,
b) a moving body for absorbing an extension and compression of the main circulating belt is provided in a returning end of the main circulating belt in such a manner as to freely move in a longitudinal direction of the main circulating belt.
(2) The moving body for absorbing an extension and compression of the transferring belt is provided in a returning end of the transferring belt wound around two spaced apart rollers in an endless manner in such a manner as to freely move in a longitudinal direction of the transferring belt.
(3) In the structure in which an above track of the transferring belt wound around two spaced apart rollers in an endless manner is supported and guided by a sliding plate, a hole is provided in the sliding plate and a partly guiding member is provided in the hole in such a manner as to freely project.
(4) In the structure in which at least two sets of modules provided with a first roller and a second roller disposed apart from each other and having a small diameter, drive means, and an endless belt passing over the first roller and the second roller and driven by the drive means are closely disposed in series with respect to a longitudinal direction in such a manner that the first roller and the second roller are opposed:
a) at least one of the opposing first roller and second roller is supported in such a manner as to freely move to a vertical direction; and/or,
b) a center portion of at least one of the modules is supported in such a manner as to freely rotate, a member to be guided is provided in a lower surface near the first roller and the second roller, and the member to be guided is guided and supported by a movable support body having a projecting portion; and/or,
c) a length of each of the modules is set to be a length which cannot be stepped over in one stride even by a tall passenger.
(5) In the structure in which at least two sets of modules provided with a first roller and a second roller disposed apart from each other, drive means, and an endless belt passing over the first roller and the second roller and driven by the drive means are disposed in series with respect to a longitudinal direction, and the endless belt of each of the modules is circulated at a different speed,
a) a moving handrail moving at about an average speed of the endless belts circulating at different speeds is disposed at both side portions of each of the modules; or,
b) a moving handrail is disposed at both side portions of each of the modules, and the moving handrail is moved at a speed which cancels a leading action and a lagging action of the transferred body with respect to the transfer at the length and the circulating speed in the endless belt of each of the modules.
In accordance with the invention having the structure mentioned above, a belt system in which the circulating belt, having a necessary speed, can be efficiently obtained from a single drive source or a limited number of drive source, and even when the length of the belt becomes long, a suitable tension can be always obtained, further, since the moving handrail is disposed in such a manner that the leading action and the lagging induction operation can be appropriately canceled with respect to the movement of the passenger by the circulating belt and each of the circulating belts is relatively disposed in such a manner that the passenger can be transferred from the sending side to the receiving side between the modules in a smooth manner. Accordingly, a moving walk which is trouble free even when the operating direction becomes inverted can be obtained.
Further, a safe moving walk presenting little fear of stumbling or staggering even when the passenger walks on the belt with long strides can be obtained.